HSIE Teachers - HSC Geography: Ecosystems at risk
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      • Towra Point
      • Homebush Bay
    • Spatial patterns
    • Biophysical Interactions >
      • Weather and climate
      • Geomorphic and hydrological processes
      • Biogeographical processes
      • Adjustments to natural stress
      • Homebush Bay - Biophysical Interactions
    • Nature and rate of change
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      • Towra Point - Human Impacts
      • Towra Point - Human impacts activity
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      • Towra Point - Management Strategies
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    • Intertidal Wetlands Revision Questions
    • Intertidal Wetlands - Fieldwork >
      • Towra Point excursion
  • Coral Reefs
    • Spatial patterns
    • Biophysical Interactions >
      • Weather and climate
      • Geomorphic and hydrological processes
      • Biogeographical processes
      • Adjustments to natural stress
      • Coral Reef Triangle
    • Nature and rate of change
    • Human Impacts >
      • Coral Triangle - Human Impacts
      • Great Barrier Reef - Human Impacts
    • Management practices >
      • Traditional Management Practices
      • Coral Triangle - Management
      • Great Barrier Reef - Management Strategies
    • Coral Reefs - Fieldwork >
      • Coral Triangle - fieldwork
      • Fieldwork - Lizard Island Virtual Fieldsite.
      • Great Barrier Reef excursion
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Ecosystem Management - overview

Students learn about:

Ecosystems and their management

• interactions which lead to diverse ecosystems and their functioning 
• vulnerability and resilience of ecosystems 
– impacts due to natural stress 
– impacts due to human induced modifications to energy flows, nutrient cycling, and relationships between biophysical components 
• the importance of ecosystem management and protection 
– maintenance of genetic diversity 
– utility values 
– intrinsic values 
– heritage values 
– need to allow natural change to proceed 
• evaluation of traditional and contemporary management strategies. 

Case studies of ecosystems 
• Case study 1: Intertidal wetlands:
– spatial patterns and dimensions: location, altitude, latitude, size, shape and continuity 
– biophysical interactions including: 
  • the dynamics of weather and climate 
  • geomorphic and hydrologic processes such as earth movements, weathering, erosion, transport and deposition, soil formation 
  • biogeographical processes: invasion, succession, modification, resilience 
  • adjustments in response to natural stress 
– the nature and rate of change which affects ecosystem functioning 
– human impacts (both positive and negative) (human impact on Towra Point)
– traditional and contemporary management practices. ( management strategies at Towra Point Wetlands)


Case study 2: Coral Reefs
– spatial patterns and dimensions: location, altitude, latitude, size, shape and continuity 
– biophysical interactions including: (Coral Triangle) (Great Barrier Reef)
  • the dynamics of weather and climate 
  • geomorphic and hydrologic processes such as earth movements, weathering, erosion, transport and deposition, soil formation 
  • biogeographical processes: invasion, succession, modification, resilience 
  • adjustments in response to natural stress 
– the nature and rate of change which affects ecosystem functioning 
– human impacts (both positive and negative) (Coral Triangle) (Great Barrier Reef)
– traditional and contemporary management practices. (Coral Triangle) (Great Barrier Reef)
The selected ecosystems at risk could include areas such as coastal dunes, freshwater wetlands, inter-tidal wetlands, coral reefs, arid areas, alpine areas, rainforests, temperate forests. 

Students learn to:

Investigate and communicate geographically by 

• asking and addressing geographical questions such as 
– what are the reasons for the location of the Great Barrier Reef? 
– what action is appropriate for managing wetland ecosystems sustainably? 
– what will the rainforests of Kalimantan be like in the future? 

Use geographical skills and tools such as 

• calculating the gradient of a slope as a ratio 
• calculating the vertical exaggeration of a cross section describing a specific ecosystem 
• determining sight lines between two points 
• recognising features of changing pressure patterns on weather maps in order to describe characteristics of different ecosystems 
• constructing a log of events and activities to manage the development of a fieldwork activity explaining human impacts on an ecosystem at risk 
• interpreting frequency distributions and diagrams about energy flows in different ecosystems 
• constructing a precis map from an aerial photo or satellite image to describe spatial patterns of overland flow 
• using GIS to examine spatial and ecological issues relevant to the protection and management of ecosystems. 

Identify geographical methods applicable to, and useful in, the workplace such as 

• using meteorological data, satellite imagery and aerial photography 
• constructing environmental maps and compiling environmental impact reports 
• the relevance of a geographical understanding of ecosystems at risk to a particular vocation such as: managing a national park, guiding tourist groups, ecological mapping for surveyors, evaluating dune stabilisation programs preserving heritage sites. 



Course information provided from the NSW Board of Studies Syllabus.

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  • Home
    • Assessment
    • Assessment 1 Scaffold
    • Extended Responses
  • Ecosystem Management
    • Biophysical Interactions >
      • Biophysical Interactions extended response
    • Vulnerability and Resilience >
      • Environmental stress extended response
    • Importance of management and protection >
      • Ecosystems Research task
    • Evaluation of management strategies >
      • Evaluating management strategies
      • Evaluating - sample
      • Evaluating - scaffold
    • Mini case studies
    • Ecosystems - ESL Support
  • Tundra
    • Tundra - spatial patterns - analysing photos and maps >
      • Tundra glossary
      • Tundra - Virtual fieldwork
    • Tundra - Biophysical interactions >
      • Tundra - Churchill biophysical interactions
      • Skills: Climate graphs
    • Nature and Rate of Change >
      • Tundra - Climate Change Infographic
    • Human Impacts >
      • Tundra - Cause and Effect
      • Tundra Connections
    • Tundra - Management >
      • Evaluating Management Strategies
      • Tundra - radio collar tracking
  • Intertidal Wetlands
    • Case Studies >
      • Towra Point
      • Homebush Bay
    • Spatial patterns
    • Biophysical Interactions >
      • Weather and climate
      • Geomorphic and hydrological processes
      • Biogeographical processes
      • Adjustments to natural stress
      • Homebush Bay - Biophysical Interactions
    • Nature and rate of change
    • Human impacts >
      • Towra Point - Human Impacts
      • Towra Point - Human impacts activity
      • Homebush Bay - Human Impacts
    • Management practices >
      • Towra Point - Management Strategies
      • Homebush Bay - Management Strategies
    • Intertidal Wetlands Revision Questions
    • Intertidal Wetlands - Fieldwork >
      • Towra Point excursion
  • Coral Reefs
    • Spatial patterns
    • Biophysical Interactions >
      • Weather and climate
      • Geomorphic and hydrological processes
      • Biogeographical processes
      • Adjustments to natural stress
      • Coral Reef Triangle
    • Nature and rate of change
    • Human Impacts >
      • Coral Triangle - Human Impacts
      • Great Barrier Reef - Human Impacts
    • Management practices >
      • Traditional Management Practices
      • Coral Triangle - Management
      • Great Barrier Reef - Management Strategies
    • Coral Reefs - Fieldwork >
      • Coral Triangle - fieldwork
      • Fieldwork - Lizard Island Virtual Fieldsite.
      • Great Barrier Reef excursion
  • HSIETeachers